Adult case of partial trisomy 9q

Congenital hiatal hernia segregating with a duplication in 9q22.31q22.32 in two families

Congenital hiatal hernia (HH) is a rare congenital defect and is often described on a sporadic basis, but familial cases have also been reported. The mechanism of development is not well understood, and to our knowledge no specific genetic factors have been implicated to date. We report on seven individuals from two families with 9q22 duplication, who have variably associated features including congenital HH in four individuals. One family had an 1.09 Mb 9q22 duplication, and the other family had an overlapping 2.73 Mb 9q22 duplication. We review the genes in this region and discuss BARX1 (BarH-like homeobox gene 1) as a gene of interest.

Schilbach-Rott syndrome associated with 9q22.32q22.33 duplication, involving the PTCH1 gene

Schilbach-Rott syndrome (SRS, OMIM%164220) is a disorder of unknown aetiology that is characterised by hypotelorism, epichantal folds, cleft palate, dysmorphic face, hypospadia in males and mild mental retardation in some patients. To date, 5 families and 17 patients have exhibited this phenotype, and recurrence in two of these families suggests an autosomal dominant inheritance. SRS overlaps with a mild form of holoprosencephaly (HPE), but array-CGH analysis and sequencing of some HPE-related genes (SEPT9, SHH and TWIST) did not reveal any variants in at least one family. Herein, we investigated by array-CGH analysis a 11-year-old female patient and her father, both exhibiting the typical SRS phenotype, disclosing in the daughter-father couple the same microduplication of chromosome 9q22.32q22.33 [arr[hg19]9q22.32(98,049,611_98,049,636)x3,9q22.33 (99,301,483_99,301,508)x3], involving eight genes, including PTCH1. The duplication segregated with the disease, since it was not found in the healthy paternal grandparents of the proband. The gain-of-function variants of the PTCH1 gene are responsible for a mild form of HPE. This is the first genetic variant found in SRS. This finding reinforces the hypothesis that SRS belongs to the HPE clinical spectrum and suggests to perform array-CGH in patients with SRS phenotype and, if negative, to consider a potential benefit from sequencing of HPE-related genes.

Complete trisomy 9 with unusual phenotypic associations: Dandy-Walker malformation, cleft lip and cleft palate, cardiovascular abnormalities

OBJECTIVE

Trisomy 9 is a rare chromosomal abnormality usually associated with first-trimester miscarriage; few fetuses survive until the second trimester. We report two new cases of complete trisomy 9 that both present unusual phenotypic associations, and we analyze the genetic pathway involved in this chromosomal abnormality.

CASE REPORT

The first fetus investigated showed Dandy-Walker malformation, cleft lip, and cleft palate) at the second trimester scan. Cardiovascular abnormalities were characterized by a right-sided, U-shaped aortic arch associated with a ventricular septal defect (VSD). Symmetrical intrauterine growth restriction and multicystic dysplastic kidney disease were associated findings. The second fetus showed a dysmorphic face, bilateral cleft lip, hypoplastic corpus callosum, and a Dandy-Walker malformation. Postmortem examination revealed cardiovascular abnormalities such as persistent left superior vena cava draining into the coronary sinus, membranous ventricular septal defect, overriding aorta, pulmonary valve with two cusps and three sinuses, and the origin of the left subclavian artery distal to the junction of ductus arteriosus and aortic arch.

CONCLUSION

Complete trisomy 9 may result in a wide spectrum of congenital abnormalities, and the presented case series contributes further details on the phenotype of this rare aneuploidy.

When Feeding Difficulties Are due to Genetics

Chromosomal abnormalities may cause growth failure before or since birth. 9q duplication is reported as a cause of intrauterine growth restriction, mild dysmporphism, and intellectual disabilities. We report a case of a maternally inherited 9q21.31q21.33 duplication causing prenatal and postnatal growth restriction with feeding refusal and mild facial dysmorphisms, prenatally diagnosed by single-nucleotide polymorphism array analysis. Hypothesis of the possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed.

Neonatal presentation of chromosome 9q33.2-q34.3 duplication

Partial terminal duplication of chromosome 9 is a rare anomaly that is known to be associated with specific dysmorphic features. While having common characteristics, these patients also have inconsistent phenotypic features. These inconsistent features may be attributed to the length and the region of the duplicated segment of chromosome 9. We discuss a case of an infant with similar physical features to those previously reported including dysmorphology of the craniofacial region, hands and feet. However we also describe findings of malrotation and renal anomalies. Microarray demonstrated duplication of 9q33.2-q34.3 with normal parental karyotyping. This is the first reported case of duplication of this specific region of chromosome 9q and the phenotypic presentation represents a new constellation of clinical findings.

Duplication of the TGFBR1 gene causes features of Loeys-Dietz syndrome

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS; OMIM:609192) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by hypertelorism, bifid uvula or cleft palate, and arterial tortuosity with widespread vascular aneurysms and a high risk of aortic dissection at an early age. LDS results from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta-receptor I and II (TGFBR1 and TGFBR2) genes, altering the transmission of the subcellular TGF-β signal, mediated by increased activation of Smad2. We report on a 17-year-old boy with pubertas tarda, a bifid uvula, camptodactyly and facial dysmorphic features, suggestive of LDS. Mutation analysis of TGFBR1 and TGFBR2 was normal. By means of molecular karyotyping two previously unreported chromosomal imbalances were detected: a 120 kb deletion on chromosome 22q13.31q13.32, inherited from an unaffected parent, and a de novo 14.6 Mb duplication on chromosome 9q22.32q31.3, comprising TGFBR1. We hypothesize that copy number gain of TGFBR1 contributes to the phenotype.